Shoe-fastener.



No. 845,432. PATENTFD FEB. 26, 1907.

' P. PASGHEN.

SHOE FASTENER. v 'APPLI ATION FILED Mn 26, 1906.

THE uolams PETERS 5a., WASHINGTON, 0. c4

TINTTED STATES FREDERICK PASOIIEN,

PATENT OFFTCE.

OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- SHOE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed May 26,1906. Serial Ea 318,918.

To a, [Uh/0TH, [It may concern..-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK PASOHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and ex act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in shoe-fasteners; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe showing my invention ap lied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front e evation of the bottom end of the fastener. F ig. 3 is a longitudinal sect-ion on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing the tongue, however, pulled out or down to its lowest or open position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged inner face view of the upper end of the sliding tongue. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a pers ective showing the manner of coupling the c annel-links. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the bottom channel-link. Fig. 8 is a side elevation and section showing the manner of assembling the channel-links; and Fig. 9 is a plan of one end of one of the links, showing in dotted outline the contiguous end of an adjacent link.

The present invention is an improvement on the shoe-fastener forming the subjectmatter of United States Letters Patent 7 34 ,360, issued to myself and to Joseph Duckro, under date of while contem lating the several objects and advantages of the patented device the present improvement is directed to details which impart special pliability to the shoe-upper, materially reducing the stiffness of the chan nel through which the tongue operates, and to other features of construction whose advantages will be better apparent from a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows: Referring to the drawings, S represents the shoe-upper, which is slit lengthwise over the instep in the usual way. Disposed along the edge on each are a series of tubular or channel links 1, each provided with a longitudinal peripheral slit 2, the links when assembled collectively effecting a sort of hinged connection July 21, 1903, and

side of the slit I forming a tubular channel or guide which receives the marginal longitudinal head 3 of the tongue 4, the edges of the tongue passing through the composite slit formed by the slits 2 of the assembled. links, and thus spanning the instep, as shown. In this particular the present invention is similar to the l patented device referred to. Projecting be yond the body of each link at the base of the channel thereof is an extension 5, whose sides are formed into prongs 6, which are forced through and clenched to the leather of the upper, the opposite end of each link terminating in an extension or lip 7, which passes through the base of the extension 5 of the next adjacent link from the inside of the latter and appears on the outside of such adjacent link, Figs. 6, 8. The slight offset 7 Figs. 7, 8, of the lip )asses transversely through an opening 0, ormed slightly beyond the base of the extension 5 of the next link, Fig. 6, preventing any tendency of one link to enter the body of an adjacent link and between the several links, which in turn imparts a pliability and flexible character to the composite channel thus formed by the assembled links. The lowest or bottom pair of links have formed thereon adjacent to the edge of the slit 2 an upwardly-turned hook 8, which engages an inwardly and downwardly turned hook 9, formed on the under side near the top of the tongue, the engagement of these hooks preventing the tongue from being wholly withdrawn out of its channels or ways when occasion arises to remove the sl oe.

The connection between any two links is effected virtually along a limited line or surface of contact, one link being wholly outside of an adjacent link and being interlocked only through the medium of the lips 7, passing through the bases of the extensions 5, with which the securing-prongs 6 are formed. This manner of assembling the links results in an eminently flexible channel for the beaded sides of the tongue. In other respects the operation of the device is the same as the patented fastener above referred to.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a shoe having a slitted upper, a series of tubular peripherally-slotted links disposed along the edges of the upper, each link IOC ries of tubular peripherally-slotted links disl posed along the edges of the upper, each link having a pronged extension at one end secured to the shoe, and a lip at the opposite end passed through the base of the pronged extension from the inside to the outside, the projecting end of the lip bearing against the outer surface of the adjacent link, the several links forming a channel or Way, and a beaded tongue sliding in said Way, substantially as set forth.

4. In a shoe having a slitted upper, a series of tubular peripherally-slotted links disposed along the edges of the upper, each link having a pronged extension at one end clenched to the shoe-upper, and a lip at the opposite end having a hinged connection l with the pronged extension of an adjacent link, substantially as set forth.

5. In a shoe having a series of peripherally-slotted links forming collectively a channel or way along the edges of the upper, an I upturned hook on the lower pair of links, a sliding tongue operating in the ways, and cooperating hooks on the under side of the tongue for engaging the hooks of the said lower links, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK PASCHEN.

Witnesses EMIL STAREK,

I J 0s. A. MICHEL. 

